"The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands.Day after day they pour forth speech;night after night they reveal knowledge.They have no speech, they use no words;no sound is heard from them.Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,their words to the ends of the world."

Psalm 19: 1-4 (NIV)

"Just as a window is not real if we cannot look through it, so our world cannot show its true identity if it remains opaque and does not point beyond itself...When we receive in our hearts with gratitude and awe what God has created, we see nature as it truly is - a transcendent reality that asks for reverence and respect. Then it becomes transparent, and life starts to speak a new language, revealing to us the goodness and beauty of God. The plants and animals with whom we live teach us about birth, growth, maturation, and death, about the need for gentle care, and especially about the importance of patience and hope."